The greatest of all holiday movies is “It’s A Wonderful Life.” If you haven’t seen it, why the heck not? If you have seen it, then you know it’s a touching story about how, as angel first-class wannabe Clarence Odbody tells main character George Bailey, “Each man’s life touches so many other lives.”

George Bailey, with the help of Clarence, gets to see how dark and different the lives of people in his hometown of Bedford Falls would turn out if he’d never been born.

This wonderful movie is the inspiration for the George Bailey Award, which goes to the Minnesota sports figure whose life has touched so many other lives.

There are plenty of candidates.

You could make a case for Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher, who hired Todd Richards as coach, then blew out Richards and his staff and hired Mike Yeo and a whole new staff. Fletcher also brought in players such as Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. Fletcher’s personnel decisions this season have rippled across the NHL, with his moves lifting the Wild from also-ran status to playoff contender.

You could make a case for Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn, who hired Kurt Rambis as coach, then blew out Rambis and his staff and hired Rick Adelman and a whole new staff. Kahn is responsible for putting together a team that had the NBA’s worst record last season. He also is responsible for the additions of Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams. Whatever success, or failure, the Wolves have this season can be traced to Kahn.

You could make a case for University of Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi, who hired Tubby Smith and Jerry Kill, re-signed Don Lucia and offered or extended contracts of other coaches. By doing those things, he is indirectly responsible for all the athletes wearing the ol’ Maroon and Gold.

You could make a case for Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman, who oversaw the drafts that brought in Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Christian Ponder. He also is responsible for the Vikings having lousy depth at many key positions.

You could make a case for Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who is reshaping the team’s roster by adding Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit, Josh Willingham and Jason Marquis while letting Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and others sign elsewhere.

Fletcher, Kahn, Maturi, Spielman and Ryan all would be deserving recipients of the George Bailey Award, but they are in positions that involve hiring and firing coaches and acquiring athletes. In other words, they are supposed to impact lives.

This year’s winner of the George Bailey Award doesn’t have a job description that includes hiring or firing, or acquiring athletes, but he has impacted an incalculable number of lives – from athletes to front-office personnel to millions of fans.

Joe Mauer can add the George Bailey Award to his list of accomplishments, which include three batting titles and an MVP award.

Injuries and illness limited Mauer to 82 games last season, and his absence contributed to the Twins’ 99-loss season. That, in turn, contributed to general manager Bill Smith losing his job and being replaced by Ryan.

Meanwhile, Mauer’s $23 million contract eats up about 25 percent of the Twins’ payroll, which is why there wasn’t enough money to bring back Cuddyer and Kubel and sign an elite starter.

Mauer’s contract has forced Ryan to keep a clamp on contracts and sign reasonably priced players such as Carroll, Doumit, Willingham and Marquis, who, in a roundabout way, are Twins because of the ripple effect of Mauer’s salary.

Mauer’s contract has an impact on the Twins’ entire roster, and what he does or doesn’t do impacts how millions of fans react to the Twins, whether it’s measured in terms of their passion for the team or the purchase of tickets and merchandise.

Joe Mauer’s life, like George Bailey’s, has touched so many other lives.

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